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On December 12, 2018, Congress crossed the finish line on a final bipartisan Farm Bill, with the House voting in support of the bill 369-47 on the heels of the Senate’s passage, 87-13. The final bill largely resembles the bipartisan SNAP provisions in the original Senate bill that the United Way network strongly championed throughout 2018. The Farm Bill conference report preserves access to nutritious food for those who need it most by keeping the current SNAP eligibility requirements and work provisions and maintaining state flexibility. It also makes incremental changes that support work by strengthening the SNAP E&T program and its connection to employers and existing workforce infrastructure, and improving program integrity by modernizing verification systems and instituting checks to prevent duplicate receipt of benefits across states. ‘

We celebrate this victory as a bipartisan win that helps children, seniors, people with disabilities, veterans, and working Americans keep food on the table andthank our entire network for your strong advocacy efforts. You came together and fought for SNAP through hundreds of legislative meetings, powerful stories, strategic op-eds, informative digital campaigns, and engagement with hundreds of partners and volunteers.

Have you ever known someone who worked non-stop? They’re the office go-getter, always available to support the team and take on extra work. But what do you do when their enthusiasm seems out of balance?

Passion for work is common. Using passion for work to mask a mental health issue is common, too. Even people we think we know well can put on a public face to protect themselves from its associated stigmas. Mental illness is one of those equalizers that doesn’t care who you are.

Today, 1 in 5 people in the workplace have some form of mental illness – from drug and alcohol addiction to depression and bipolar disorder. But we don’t talk about it openly and honestly enough. For managers, it can be difficult to strike a balance between noticing warning signs of someone in need and getting past the trust issues they have about disclosing that need. For some employees, it’s terrifying to disclose their diagnosis because they’re afraid of the potential judgement and repercussions that may follow.

The bar for frank conversations about diversity and inclusion is already difficult to reach. And judgments around race, gender and orientation are exacerbated by mental health stigmas. America’s corporate culture hasn’t done enough to make the 16 percent of Hispanics, 18 percent of African-Americans, 13 percent of Asians and 28 percent of American Indians with mental illness — and the LGBTQ community who are at least twice as likely to be living with it — feel secure in just showing up.

So how do we protect colleagues who have been hurt and isolated by previous encounters with racism, sexism and homophobia from feeling even more hurt and isolated? I don’t think there’s a one-size-corrects-all solution. But I know the effort starts when leaders make themselves available to hear the concerns of their employees. Many managers aren’t aware of the resources available to help employees navigate these issues.

As leaders, we increase the productivity and responsiveness of our teams when we show compassion, concern and empathy for them. When we humanize mental illness, we introduce the tools and language to talk about it and save lives, particularly for people of color and LGBTQ people who are already less likely to receive treatment and confront insensitivity if they do. We make people a priority. Just as important, we give our colleagues permission to let their masks slip so we can help them when they need it.

About the author: Darlene Slaughter, Vice President & Chief Diversity Officer of the United Way US Network, is a recognized leader in diversity and inclusion. She recently authored a chapter for a book promoting women’s leadership advancement, offering honest insight and advice into how she gained confidence in the workplace, opening the door to more leadership opportunities and helping her better understand how to use her strengths to support others’ growth. Mastering Your Inner Critic … and Seven Other High Hurdles to Advancement” hits newsstands Dec. 3, 2018.

Problems. The ones most people don’t have the stomach for. The ones nobody talks about at cocktail parties. The ones that can’t be solved. We go looking for them. We have one life. To live better, we must Live United.

Get ready to kick off your Thanksgiving week festivities with the Harbin Clinic Turkey Trot 5K and Health Wobble benefitting the United Way of Bartow County on Saturday, Nov. 17.

The long-running event adds Harbin Clinic as the title sponsor this year but keeps the same great course and the fun, frivolity and fitness local athletes have come to expect.

“We look forward to this race each November, and we are happy to be partnering with Harbin Clinic this year,” Brenda Morehouse, United Way of Bartow County president, says. “I can’t wait to see everyone participating and having fun in this event.”

The certified 5K course is fast and scenic while encircling Sam Smith Park, and it also serves as a qualifier for the Peachtree Road Race.

Along with the 5K race, which starts at 9 a.m., the event will have a pre-race costume contest and a two-mile health wobble. The wobble is a two-mile, non-timed walk for those that want to take part but may not want to run 3.1 miles.

As in previous years, age-group winners get to claim frozen turkeys as their prize. The top three finishers in each age group will receive special awards newly made for this year’s event.

“Harbin Clinic is excited to become a part of this Cartersville tradition and be able to help put a focus on health and wellness in Bartow County while also supporting the many great things the Bartow County United Way does in the community,” Harbin Clinic CEO Kenna Stock says.

Wire2Wire running will provide timing and results for the event. Registration for the 5K is $25 and $20 for the health wobble, and people can sign up at active.com. To guarantee t-shirt size, participants need to be registered no later than Sunday, Nov. 11. Race-day registration for the 5K is $35 and $25 for the wobble.

Packet pick up will be on Friday, Nov. 16 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the lobby of the United Way of Bartow County located at 320 West Cherokee Avenue in Cartersville.

We had to re-run the results because of one missing runner. We apologize for the duplication, but wanted to be sure we have everyone’s time and place published properly. We appreciate all of you have supported our run, whether this has been your first time or if it’s an annual tradition. All of those funds raised help support over 15 different non-profit partner agencies right here in Bartow County. So, by helping us, you are actually helping a wide range of agencies all at once. Thank you!